ARTICLES ABOUT SALMAN KHURSHID BY DATE - PAGE 5

NEW DELHI: Under attack over his comments about the Supreme Court and the Election Commission in London, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid today said that he was "saddened" by the unfair manner in which his comments were reported to feed "an already frenzied and surcharged atmosphere" in the country. He also denied mocking any institution in the country. Khurshid said he spoke for about 45 minutes to a largely academic audience and answered questions for another 15 minutes in his public lecture at SOAS in London on an important topic "Challenges before Indian Democracy".

NEW DELHI: Under attack over his comments about the Supreme Court and the Election Commission in London, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid today said that he was "saddened" by the unfair manner in which his comments were reported to feed "an already frenzied and surcharged atmosphere" in the country. He also denied mocking any institution in the country. Khurshid said he spoke for about 45 minutes to a largely academic audience and answered questions for another 15 minutes in his public lecture at SOAS in London on an important topic "Challenges before Indian Democracy".

NEW DELHI: BJP today termed as "very dangerous" External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid's comments questioning the role of the Supreme Court and Election Commission and said the two institutions must take suo motu cognisance of it. BJP also accused Khurshid and the Congress of denigrating constitutional institutions and charged them with having an "undemocratic mindset". "What Salman Khurshid has said is very dangerous and the court and the Election Commission must take cognisance of this," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

LONDON: External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid today met his British counterpart William Hague and discussed bilateral matters and foreign policy issues. The two leaders reviewed bilateral relations between India and the UK and also discussed current regional issues in South Asia, the Middle East and Europe. "I was delighted to welcome my counterpart in India, minister Salman Khurshid, today [Wednesday] in Commonwealth Week , which aptly reflects the spirit of our friendship and motivation toward the shared goals and values of Britain and India," UK Foreign Secretary Hague said after the meeting.

NEW DELHI: In a direct attack at External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Friday slammed the minister for his apparent criticism of the Election Commission and Supreme Court. "We should be proud of our Election Commission, but the External Affairs Minister is abusing it in London," Modi said. "We are proud of our democracy and our Election Commission, which works so efficiently," Modi said. Accusing Congress of being in the habit of 'misusing, abusing and reducing institutions', Modi said, "Their name - INC - must be changed to Institution Neglecting Congress.

LONDON: External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has questioned the role of the Supreme Court and the Election Commission, making mocking comments about them. Apparently referring to the Supreme Court judgment disqualifying convicted lawmakers, he called it "a judge-made law", while the "broad philosophical approach" of the Election Commission guidelines appear to be that "you should do or say nothing that wins you an election". Speaking on the 'Challenges of Democracy in India' at the School of Oriental and African Studies ( SOAS )

FARRUKHABAD: Launching a fresh attack on Narendra Modi , Union minister Salman Khurshid today said how can the Gujarat chief minister keep the people of the country satisfied when his seniors in the party are not satisfied and "making comments against him". Khurshid claimed that senior BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and LK Advani made comments against Modi on social networking site Twitter . "Sushma Swaraj and LK Advani's tweets are against Modi... when he cannot keep his senior leaders satisfied how will he succeed in satisfying the people of the country," Khurshid, who arrived here on a three-day visit to his parliamentary constituency, said.

NEW DELHI: India has completed the internal process for signing the much-waited free trade agreement in services and investments with ASEAN which is set to significantly boost its economic engagement with the 10-nation grouping. "We have completed our process for signing of the FTA on Services and Investment and we await the completion of the processes amongst the ASEAN countries," External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said. He was addressing 'Delhi Dialogue VI' -- the sixth edition of the annual ASEAN-India dialogue.

FARRUKHABAD (UP): Taking potshots once again at BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi , External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said here today that though the Gujarat leader has no problem in donning the traditional attire of other states, he is "wary" of wearing a "small cap". Referring to an incident in Gujarat where Modi had refused to wear a cap being presented by Muslim leaders, Khurshid said that though he (Modi) wears dresses, pagdi and saafa of other states, "he is wary of a small cap".

FARRUKHABAD: Notwithstanding Rahul Gandhi's disapproval, Union minister Salman Khurshid today said he stood by his remark, in which he had dubbed Narendra Modi as "impotent" due to his "inability" to control riots. Khurshid said what other term could be used for a person like Modi. "Was it not his duty as the chief minister to check riots... if it was and he failed to do so, what is a person who failed to discharge his duty called," Khurshid asked reporters here. When asked whether he would also use the same term for the then prime minister in the light of 1984 riots, Khurshid said that he is not in the world today but Modi is among us as a claimant of prime minister's post and he is answerable to the incidents taking place during his tenure.